I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, so please let me know if I need to move it.

Lucy Softball Diamond (aka Lucy Fields, named after my Granny, and the obvious...)

Last year at BM, all I kept thinking about was how badly I wished I could play a ball game. Such perfect weather for a game, so many good people to play with, and so much open space to build a field. With that said, I want to build a Softball field on the playa this year. If you want to help out, or have some cool ideas, please comment below. I also need some gear donations, so if you have a dusty glove you never use, or an old bat that you only use to chase away the racoons in your yard, please feel free to send em my way. If you are good at building some sturdy bleachers, I can supply the wood and I would love to have you on board (no pun intended). I have not submitted this idea to the Burning Man cats yet, so if you also have suggestions on how to do so effectively, please lay some knowledge on a brotha.

Gear:*10-14 gloves (4 for lefties)*2 softball bats*3 bases, 1 home plate and one pitchers mound that will be screwed into the playa with very tiny bolts to not damage the land.*Baselines will NOT be made with chalk, instead there will be a blue rope screwed into the earth to make the dimensions of the field and the posts will be heavily padded.*Bucket of neon painted Softballs. Not hard softballs, but soft softballs.*Sturdy Bleachers will be built by a professional contractor, and placed along the 1st baseline. They will not exceed 6 feet high for safety, and will be braced for the proper weight and tipping hazards. This structure will NOT be burned.*Homerun fence will be a roped line, not an actual structure, to ensure safety.*A mini scoreboard will be erected as well as a bulletin board with the week's schedule.*A first aid kit and a walkie talkie to the safety center will be needed just in case an injury occurs.*Spare sunglasses and bandanas in case a dust storm hits.*Lots of spare sunscreen so people don't get roasted.*Clipboard for sign ups*Bull horns for people/spectators to borrow, which will be sanitized after every game.*Big Trash can that will be brought back to camp and emptied each day.*Beach umbrellas or shade structures so spectators are not burned by the sun, or hit by foul balls, if they chose.*A tiny bar with a bartender so spectators can drink while watching a ballgame*A tiny bar with a bartender so players can drink while they are on offense and waiting to bat or field.*Proper lighting for the unused structures at night time.*Battery operated drills for the bleacher construction/de-construction.*A vehicle to haul the wood/gear to the field.*Blue prints of the field dimensions etc.

Dimensions:90 feet between each base (this can be shorter if need be)60 feet from plate to pitchers mound (not required to stand that far)250-300 feet from plate to homerun fenceField must be angled with the sun rising/setting over the 1st and 3rd baseline, to not blind players.

Themes:Naked gamesKeg gamesHot dog giveawaysIce cream giveawaysNacho giveawaysCotton Candy giveawaysPopcorn giveaways (unless it's too messy for "leave no trace")Baseball Hat giveawaysAll girl gamesAll male gamesLGBT gamesStrip games (Each time you get out, you remove an article of clothing)Heckling games, where you can trash talk jokinglyAnimal games (dress up as animals)Backwards games (gives lefties an advantage), where you run clockwise. Basehits run to 3rd instead of 1st.Couples games.Kids games (probably ages 10-14)Grown folks games (Over 40)

Gameplay:This will be underhand, slow pitchGames are Co-ed, unless a special game is notedGames will be between 6-9 innings depending on team energy and time.No helmets or catchers gear needed.

Notes:I will have back up gear at camp in case things go missing.I will buy all the gear with my own money and contributions from the community.There will always be a sober leader/umpire on hand to make sure games are safe and fair.If someone is obviously too intoxicated, they will need to sober up to ensure their own safety and the safety of others.As this is a leave no trace event, we will discourage the use of chewing tobacco and sunflower seeds.There will be 2 games daily at 2pm and 5pmSignups will take place 30 minutes before each official game and the first 20 players will be chosen, with fill-ins standing by.This field will probably need to be in deep playa so foul balls don't hit people, but fairly close to Port-O-Potties.There will be plenty of free/pickup use of the field in the morning before 2pm, and in the evening after 7pm if some camps wanted to challenge each other, or if some burners wanted to start a kickball game. These games will not have a moderator present.There will be between 6-12 individuals involved in the creation of this art/sporting installation.This should be published in the community events section of the 2012 guide, so people know the location of the field, as well as the daily themes.Names of all who play, as well as their team name and final scores will be posted to the web when we return, in case people want to look each other up. (If you do not want your name to be published, we will not publish it.)Note to myself-Registration for installation is Feb 15th, 2012.

My Grandmother Lucille Harlan passed away in Feb 2011 and her favorite sport was baseball. She and I shared the same love for the sport and it created our greatest bond. Even in her last days, it was one of the topics and passions that she and I held onto in our conversations. I dearly wish to bring people together the way my Grandmother and I were brought together. There is such a wonderful feeling when you combine exercise, sunshine, community, free snacks, and nostalgia, and I know it would be a beautiful addition to the Playa in 2012.

Hey guys, sorry for the late reply on this forum. I was approved for this project and will get the coordinates when I get to the playa and check into the artery. I will post up notices on the bulletin boards around center camp when I get there to let you know where I was placed on the playa. Money is not so much an issue as the items are either being donated, or are within my budget. The games will be on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2pm and 4pm and there will be sign up sheets for the first 20 people who sign up per game. I've never done anything like this, so I hope the sign up method isn't too chaotic. I will also bring a rubber ball if anyone wants to play kick ball in between games. I should have lots of water on hand as well.

The director who approved my idea said to keep everything at the bare minimum my first year just to feel it out, so many of my ideas will be put on hold after we see how the response is this first year. So basically, this will be bare bones, sandlot style ball playing. Hopefully we can spice it up with our creativity, but some things had to be shelved for various reasons. I have 600 feet of rope for the first and third baselines, and stakes to strap em down. I have bases, 2 bats and 4 balls. I don't think I will have a homerun fence because any long shot over an outfielders head will give the runner enough time to round the bases anyhow. Games will be 7 innings.

I have 4 gloves coming in from Sebastopol, and 3 from OC, but they are not in my possession yet. I could use more gloves (especially lefties), a long tape measure to measure the bases, as well as a few extra hands on the playa to help set up or umpire. The bases are 60 feet apart. If you have a glove to share, please specify if it is a donation, a loan, or if you are selling it. If it is a loan, please write your name on it so I can return it to you. My email is kingnebakaneza@yahoo.com. Let me know if you wanna get involved.

Hey there. I was approved to create a softball diamond and have everything I need, but am short on Softball/Baseball gloves. I especially need a few lefties. I would love donations, but am not opposed to borrowing and returning. I will know the location of the field when I arrive and check into the ARTery. The games will be on Tues, Thurs and Sat at 2pm and 4pm. Please contact me at kingnebakaneza@yahoo.com if you'd loike to help. Thank you so much

I am glad you revised it to 60 feet between bases. It will be hot during the days. I am guessing it will be impossible to play at night.

Yes, 2011 had incredible weather and a hard surface to the playa. Would have been great for softball. This year, it is going to be dusty and soft, so it won't be as much fun as it would have been last year, however, if I find you out there, I most certainly will want to play a game!